About Four Rings

We are a collective of instructors, allies, and friends devoted to personal, social, environmental, and spiritual transformation.

The Founders

Vajra Granelli and Robert Lee founded 4 Rings in 2014 primarily as a way to explore warriorship and spirituality through martial arts. The friends quickly realized, however, that to be a "warrior" in today's society requires much more than mindfulness and fighting skills. Robert and Vajra therefore expanded their vision of 4 Rings to include other somatic practices, ancestral skills, wilderness awareness work, creative endeavors, social engagement, group process work, and the other aspects of the ever-growing 4 Rings Collective.

Robert lives on 20 acres known as Xpayac on Whidbey Island in the Salish Sea, where he offers personal coaching, teaches meditation, and trains students in Kali, grappling, self-defense, and various rewilding skills. He holds a 9th degree black belt in Kali, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and completed the coach development program in Combat Submission Wrestling. Coach Robert earned his BA in Psychology, MFA in Writing, and Master in Divinity degrees. He has also worked as a security consultant, actor, interfaith chaplain, writing instructor, and editor.

One of the most versatile and experienced martial artists around, Vajra holds multiple black belts and teaches Aikido, boxing, self-defense, and Muay Thai in Colorado. Also a visual artist, Coach Vajra studied painting and calligraphy in China and holds a BA from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has worked extensively in executive protection and security consulting, is a firearms instructor, and has taught mindfulness to law enforcement and military personnel across the country.

coaches & instructors

Belinda is a climate campaigner, permaculture enthusiast, mother, and Work That Reconnects (WTR) facilitator based on Whidbey Island. She has led WTR and engaged Buddhist workshops for over a decade and serves on the board of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. She brings over twenty years of Buddhist practice to her facilitation and continuing exploration of WTR. Belinda is also a meditation instructor in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and has practiced with and led engaged Buddhist activist groups since the mid-1990s. Check out the following sites to find out more about Belinda’s good work: workthatreconnects.org, buddhistpeacefellowship.org, showingupforracialjustice.org, and awakeningthehorse.wordpress.com.

Nick earned a Master of Arts degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Language from Naropa University. He has been facilitating the dharma in various ways and teaching philosophy and meditation for over a decade. Nick enjoys connecting with nature, meditating, reading, Tai Chi Chuan, archery, foraging, gardening, brewing, playing the guitar, and spending time with his family. His teaching schedule and current activities can be located at mindpioneer.com.

Bruce has over thirty years of hunting experience in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to that he learned the ways of hunting from his father's shoulders during bird hunting trips in Eastern Washington. Bruce has been teaching introductory hunting and shooting classes with non-profits for the last fifteen years and has been a fly-fishing and a whitewater rafting guide. He is a certified Master Hunter, holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Business, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of WA. Bruce’s passion is to help people reawaken their innate senses through conscious hunting and gathering. Find out more at humannaturehunting.com.

Hannah is passionate about supporting people’s journey of embodiment. She has studied multiple forms of dance and holds a degree from Naropa University, the Peacemaker Institute and is a graduate of the Hakomi Psychotherapy Institute. She has been a student of Shambhala for 15 years. After discovering a direct connection between dancing, meditation and happiness, Hannah chose to share that through her classes, workshops, women’s groups and therapeutic sessions. She is a chronic illness/injury, movement and Hakomi coach. You can also find her at awakenthedance.com.